Fence post clip



Feb. 16, 1965 w. B. WEED 3,169,750

FENCE POST CLIP Filed Jan. '7, 1963 INVENTOR. WAYNE B. WEED,

BY W,MAIIL,M+FIJ$ ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent I 3,169,750 FENCE POST .CLIP Wayne B. Weed, Independence, Mo., assignor to Arm co Steel Corporation, Middletown, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio 7 Fiied Jan. 7, 1963, Ser. No. 249,819

, 2 Claims. (Cl. 25657) mary in the construction of such wire fences to provide a clip made from a short length of deformable wire with which to attach the fencing to the fence post.

While it is readily apparent that the wire clip must be deformable in order that it can securely'fasten the fencing to the post, it will also be apparent that the wire must be stifi enough that it will not become unfastened during normal usage. Accordingly, this generally requires the use of a relatively stiff wire. To aid in deforming the wire clip, many "conventional clips are provided with a loop or other enlarged portion which is engaged by a special tool in the deforming operation. that these devices are undesirable from the standpoint of the user in the field. The loops or other enlarged portions tend to become tangled when a large number of these clips are packaged in a container, and it is very hard to untangle them by shaking. When one attempts to hold a wire in position with one hand, and to pick up and install a fence post clip with the other, this can be a most annoying problem. Furthermore the worker must be equipped with a special tool.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a fence post clip which is simple in construction, and will not become tightly entangled with other clips when stored in bulk. While some entanglement may be inevitable, it will readily be possible to shake the clip of this invention loose with one hand.

A further object of my invention is to provide a fence post clip which may be clamped into position with any simple tool.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a clip which may be used with a fence post having any given cross-sectional shape.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of a fence post clip which may be placed in position to hold the fencing in position on the post, and may later be removed and installed in a different position, or clamped to hold the wire fencing permanently.

These objects of my invention, along with others which will become apparent to the skilled worker in the art as this specification proceeds, are accomplished by my novel clip configuration. From time to time, I shall refer to the accompanying drawings in which:

I have found FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the fence post clip of my invention;

FIGURE 2 is a top view of the clip of my invention as permanently clamping a fence wire to a post;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view showing the clip in place and temporarily holding a fence wire in position;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view similar to FIG- URE 3 but showing the clip as deformed into its permanent clamping position; and

FIGURE 5 is a top view of the clip of my invention as modified for usewith a certain type fence post.

Referring now to the drawings, I will describe my invention in more detail. In FIG. 2, a steel fence post is indicated generally at 10. In this particular figure, it is obvious that this post includes a front surface 11 and a ice rearwardly extending flange 12. As is conventional in the construction of such posts (see FIGS. 3 and 4), the front surface 11 is provided with a plurality of spaced apart lugs 13. These lugs 13 project outwardly from the front surface 11 a distance somewhat greater than the diameter of the wires of the fencing, and in conjunction with the clip of my invention, serve to hold the fencing in position with respect to the post. It should be emphasized at the outset that steel fence posts of this general character are entirely conventional.

Turning now to FIG. 1, I have shown therein a perspective View of the clip of my invention as specifically adapted for use withthe T post shown in FIG. 2. In this embodiment, the clip includes a body portion indicated generally at 14 which is adapted to loosely embrace the fence post. As just now noted, this particularclip is adapted for use with a T post; and to this end, the body portion is provided with a necked down, flange engaging notch 15. 1

As seen in FIGURE 2, the flange engaging notch 15 is formed by bending the body portion 14 at 14a, to form the portions 14b and 140 which lie at a substantial angle to each other. This construction provides a resiliency to the clip of this invention, whereby tight engagement between the fence wire and fence post is maintained.

One end of the body portion 14 terminates in a hook 16, the end of which is skewed outwardly. As will be apparent from an examination of FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, the hook 16 serves to engage the fence wire 17 adjacent one edge of the front surface 11 of the fence post.

The other end of the body portion 14 is provided with a latch member indicated generally at 18. This latch member includes an arm 19 disposed at not less than to the plane defined by the body portion 14, which terminates in a tool engaging pocket 20. The latch member also includes a second arm 21 extending from the tool engaging pocket 20.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention, the distance from the necked down flange engaging notch to the book 16 will be substantially equal to the distance from the necked down notch to the latch member arm 19, and these distances will be equal to the distance from the end of the rearwardly extending flange 12 to the front edge of the fence wire 17. Therefore, in utilizing the clip of this invention, the hook 16 may be engaged about a fence wire 17, the body portion 14 placed around the fence post, and the latch member 18 placed over the fence wire on the opposite side of the steel post. As noted before, the end of the hook 16 is skewed outwardly so that it will not catch on the front surface 11 of the fence post as the latch member is placed over the fence wire. This will temporarily hold the fence wire against the front surface of the fence post, and the lugs 13 will tend to confine the wire against upward or downward movement. In this manner, a fence wire may be temporarily secured in position, while an entire fence structure is set up. If necessary, final adjustments can then be made before the fence clips are permanently deformed into clamping engagement.

Permanent clamping is easily accomplished as follows. A tool, such as a screwdriver or a plier handle may be inserted through the tool engaging pocket 20 as shown in dotted lines at 22 in FIGURE 3, and using the wire 17 itself as a fulcrum, the latch can be bent rearwardly into the position shown in FIG. 4.

It is also to be preferred that the second arm 21 in the latch member be substantially parallel to the first arm 19, and somewhatshorter thanthe arm 19. This particular construction accomplishes two very important objectives. In the first place, this particular configuration is less likely to tangle with other clips of the same configuration when they are stored in bulk; and should they tangle,

heretofore described. 1

' an individual clip may easily be shaken loose with one hand. Secondly, this construction prevents the protrusion of a sharp wire end. As best illustrated in FIG. 4, the

end 23 of the second arm will be located generally behind the fence Wire 17,'and relatively out of the way. a Y

Many modificationsareof course possible in the fence clip of my invention. By way of example, have shown in FIG. 5 a modification of the body portion to adapt the clip for use with a .U-shaped fence post. In this embodiment, it will be apparent that the bodyportion 14 of theclip is provided with a relatively straight back section24,

and does'not include the necked clown flange engaging notch; But it will be apparent from comparing FIGURES 2 andS that in bothembodiments, the rearmost: section .of the body portion-is substantially straight, and is longer than. the width of, the rearmost -portion of the particular fence postwith which the clip is adaptedito be used. In other respects, this clip is entirely the same as the clip j Accordingly, while this invention has been described in terms; of an exemplary embodiment, no limitation is intended except insofar as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed as new, and what it is desired to secure;

by Letters Patent is:

1. A wire fence post'clip comprising a body shaped to embrace a fence post, which post has a rearwardly extending member and a front portion against which a fence wire is to be secured, saidvbody having ajback member for engaging said rearwardlyjextending member and extending to each side of it, and arm members attached to each end of said back member, said arm members each having insuccession a first portionyarsecond portion attached to r, saidfirst portion, and a third portion attached to said second portion, said third portions having axes 'substantially at a right angle to the axis of said back member and spaced to engage the side edges of said front portion of said fence post, said first' and second portions of said arm members extendingbetween said'back member and said third portion innon-rectilinear, angular relationship,

said back ine'mberand'said arm members lying substantially in a'single plane, one of said arms having at its outer end an open" hook -shaped configuration oriented sub- I stantially normal to said plane, the other of said arms having at its outer end an open iU -shaped' configuration 2 The .clip claimedin claim l whereinsaidiopen hook:

' shaped; eonfigurationincludes an outer; legsaid enter leg 1 being skewedoutwardlyr f ,4: H i

v f References Cited by the M UNITED STATES PATENTS i HAaRIsoNR. MOSBLEY, Pit -le y Examiner) c; w; 'RoBiNsomi Ea caminefl 

1. A WIRE FENCE POST CLIP COMPRISING A BODY SHAPED TO EMBRACE A FENCE POST, WHICH POST HAS A REARWARDLY EXTENDING MEMBER AND A FRONT PORTION AGAINST WHICH A FENCE WIRE IS TO BE SECURED, SAID BODY HAVING A BACK MEMBER FOR ENGAGING SAID REARWARDLY EXTENDING MEMBER AND EXTENDING TO EACH SIDE OF ITS, AND ARM MEMBERS ATTACHED TO EACH END OF SAID BACK MEMBER, SAID ARM MEMBERS EACH HAVING IN SUCCESSION A FIRST PORTION, A SECOND PORTION ATTACHED TO SAID FIRST PORTION, AND A THIRD PORTIONS ATTACHED TO SAID SECOND PORTION, SAID THIRD PORTIONS HAVING AXES SUBSTANTIALLY AT A RIGHT ANGLE TO THE AXIS OF SAID BACK MEMBER AND SPACED TO ENGAGE THE SIDE EDGES OF SAID FRONT PORTION OF SAID FENCE POST, SAID FIRST AND SECOND PORTIONS OF SAID ARM MEMBERS EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID BACK MEMBER AND SAID THIRD PORTION IN NON-RECTILINEAR, ANGULAR RELATIONSHIP, SAID BACK MEMBER AND SAID ARM MEMBERS LYING SUBSTANTIALLY IN A SINGLE PLANE, ONE OF SAID ARMS HAVING AT ITS OUTER END AN OPEN HOOK-SHAPED CONFIGURATION ORIENTED SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO SAID PLANE, THE OTHER OF SAID ARMS HAVING AT ITS OUTER END AN OPEN U-SHAPED CONFIGURATION OF SUBSTANTIAL LENGTH ORIENTED SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO SAID PLANE AND IN A PLANE NORMAL TO THE AXIS OF SAID THIRD PORTIONS OF SAID ARM, THE ANGULAR RELATIONSHIP OF THE SEVERAL PORTIONS OF SAID ARMS IMPARTING RESILIENCE TO SAID CLIP FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF TIGHT ENGAGEMENT. 